Abstract:
This study analyzes the nature of pre-service
teachers’ conceptual models of various electromagnetic phenomena, specifically electrical current, electrical resistance, and light/matter interactions. This is achieved through the students answering the three questions
on electromagnetism using a free response approach
including both verbal and pictorial representation. The student responses are then analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively utilizing a multi-tiered approach. These
analyses include epistemological representation,
misconceptions, correct conceptions, and the impact of high school physics exposure on student conceptions. This study is unique in three primary respects; the free response questionnaire approach, a subject group that consists of
pre-service teachers, and a primarily female demographic.